A trip to the zoo: Shutdown!

The government shutdown has left at least one animal on the wrong side of the bars at the zoo.

A picture of a small child dressed up in an animal costume standing outside the gates of the National Zoo, with the words “The Zoo is temporarily closed” above his head, has quickly become an unofficial symbol of the shutdown. The photo went viral when it was uploaded to Reddit, a user generated news links site, and has been talked about on Twitter, news sites, and TV as an example of how we all are effected by the shutdown.

According to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 53% of Americans have a negative view of the Republican party and blame them for the shutdown, which is why speculation has risen if this photo is staged. There are social media users who back up the photo. “I could see someone bringing their kid to the zoo. I have seen posts of people going to parks in the hopes the park is open, only to find the park closed,” Reddit user petedacook said in the comments section.